


Promises, Plans & Porn

by lady_meatball



Series: Thanksgiving in Boston [3]
Category: American Actor RPF, Chris Evans (Actor) RPF
Genre: Domestic!Evans, F/M, Fluff, Gen, K C & the Sunshine Band, K&C
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 03:25:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8561770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_meatball/pseuds/lady_meatball
Summary: Katie begins to feel more like herself and comes downstairs to spend the evening with Chris and his family; insomnia and restlessness keep Katie from getting more rest, so Chris tries to help and decides that is the moment to show her his plan to make strides in moving forward in their relationship which leads to unexpected decisions and an excursion neither of them had been planning…





	

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is mostly (predominantly) from Chris' POV.
> 
> Warning-Mostly fluff, facing and accepting the loss of a pregnancy, you might cry have tissues handy.

 

  
  


[Originally posted by imaulusoyist](https://tmblr.co/ZAz8Qt1-WUE2X)

 

[Visual Inspo for K&C's trip into Boston](https://lady-meatball.tumblr.com/image/153103516700)

 

Katie had come down from the shelter of Chris’ old room shortly after Chris got back from picking up the kids from school, making her way into the kitchen.

“What are you looking for, Babe?” He asked, looking up from the table where he was helping Miles with math problems. Pushing off from the tabletop, he rounded the table coming to stand next to her, his hand resting on the small of her back before rounding to her hip over the bulky sweatshirt she had pulled on to help keep her warm as well as conceal she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“Tea.” She said softly, pulling an oversized ceramic mug from one of the family’s many trips to Disney World from the cabinet. “Tea sounds really good.”

Moving to the cabinet a few doors over, Chris opened the door, reading off what types she had to choose from.

“Chamomile and mint, please…oh, and honey!” She told him.

“Yes, dear?” Chris smiled over his shoulder at her.

“I prefer honey in my tea…I was asking for honey, _Honey_.” Chris could she the corners of her mouth quirk up just the slightest bit, and the corners of her eyes as well.

“I know…here you go, tea and honey…” Chris said, stepping back over to her with the little sachets and the little plastic bear of liquid amber, dropping the bags into her mug just as Stella piped up.

“Uca Chris, I’m hungwy…”

“Stella Bella, it’s getting close to dinner time, and Noni will kill me if you don’t eat your dinner…”

“So am I-” Katie added, smelling the pot of soup filling the kitchen with it’s fantastic aroma of tomato, veggies, and broth. “-She can split a PB&J with me, just to hold us over until dinner…”

“Pwwwwwwease? Just a wittle one?”

“And what about you two?” Chris asked his nephews. Both boys looked up, nodding they could use a snack even though they just had hot chocolate. Letting out a defeated sigh, he moved to the cupboard to get the bread and peanut butter, moving on to grab the jar of strawberry jam from the fridge, when Katie peeked around him into the cool abyss.

“Just strawberry? No grape or raspberry?” She asked, crestfallen.

“Sorry, they only like strawberry…you don’t like it?” Katie shook her head.

“I’m really funny about strawberries…it comes from living in California’s ‘Strawberry Capital of the World’…unless it’s an actual strawberry, I don’t like it, and half the time they don’t taste like strawberry should, and don’t get me started on artificial flavoring…-” Katie told him, a shiver running up her back with a disgusted look on her face; sharing that tiny tidbit of information, Chris felt one side of his face lift in an amused grin as she asked, “-can I just have honey instead?”

“Of course, Baby…Stella can share with me.” Chris said, leaning forward to kiss her before closing the door of the fridge. Pointing at the table, he told her, “Why don’t you go sit down, I’ll get the water on for your tea and make sandwiches…that why you can see just what a great job the munchkins have been doing in school.”

Dinner had been a somber affair that night, at least by Evans family standards; Lisa had put a large pot of minestrone soup on to simmer throughout the day, and with the arrival of the rest of the adults that evening, the house was under a shroud of sadness as it was confirmed that Lisa had indeed passed along mention of their loss, the kids being the only members of the family with no real knowledge or understanding of what had happened.

Chris stood next to Katie as his sisters, brother in law and mother all offered their sympathies with a worry that this was too much, too soon after what happened the night before, but Katie welcomed their sincere words and affection, visibly relaxing from the tightly coiled and ready to snap look about her that she had worn earlier. She turned around once Lisa had given her a final squeezing hug, wrapping her arms around Chris’ waist, resting her face in the crook of his neck; reaching up, Chris buried his fingers in the loose hair falling from the bun on the back of her head, his lips kissing her temple while his other hand rubbed up and down her back.

“What’s the matter?” He asked, resting his cheek on her head. A quiet yawn was his answer.

“I’m tired, but I’m not…I’m exhausted but I’m _SO_ restless…”

“Hmmm…” Chris humming, thinking over the options that came to mind before he whispered in Katie’s ear, “Get comfy, I think I know what we can do that doesn’t take any brain power, but is still soothing…”

Pointing her to the kitchen table, Chris moved off to go find what he was searching for; it didn’t take long and he was soon setting down a stack of coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, and a jigsaw puzzle on the wood before Katie.

“I’ll let you pick first…want another cup of tea? Or something else?” He asked as he walked into the kitchen, pulling down two mugs before she could answer. Tea seemed like a great idea, over coloring book pages while helping her mind unwind to let her get more sleep since Chris could see that was the problem and would be what kept her awake; she had told him in a quiet confession the night before, _‘it’s always the worst at night_ ’, her emotions and depression washing over her in huge waves, so he thought this might help.

“Tea is good…I’ll just be up and down all night, having to pee if I drink too many cups.”

The sounds of the house settling around them offered comfort as everybody wound down in the hours that followed, the kids bathing and getting ready for bed while the adults relaxed, catching up on the news, watching television…Lisa brought in a load of laundry to fold, offering her company as Katie colored page after page in the kids’ coloring books, taking great care in details and free-handing; Chris sat with another one of the books in front of him, half focused on the image right out of The Jungle Book before him, watching hypnotized as Katie mixed and blended colors, embellishing the two page scene from The Lion King she was working on. She had colored most of the characters and part of the background, only Mufasa was left untouched in the picture.

“I hate it when they split it into two pages…” She muttered, setting the colored pencil on the table to stretch; rolling her neck and shoulders Katie sighed, the sound frustrated and showing how tired she was but still not enough to get any sleep.

Looking over, Chris offered her a small smile.

“It looks great though…I didn’t know you were such an artist, Kay.”

A soft chuckle left her.

“I color on people’s faces for a living…usually this helps with the insomnia, but I’m just getting more and more frustrated…” She confessed, scrubbing both hands over her face; the dark circles were back, and Chris noted she looked about ready to lay her head down on the table right then and there, but that wouldn’t prove successful with her mind still whirling. Her hands left her face, setting flat on the table top while  she breathed deep, exhaling forcefully before turning her face to look at him, asking, “Earlier you said you had an idea…are you going to tell me?”

“No-” He answered, leaning over to kiss her temple before standing from his chair, leaving his page only partially colored and forgotten as Lisa looked on from the sink where she was washing up after prepping food that would hold until Thursday once the laundry had been folded and put away. “-I’ll show you…give me a minute to get what we need.”

Looking up from her dazed spot at the table, Katie turned to look at Lisa as Chris left the kitchen, heading towards the garage.

“I have no idea what he’s up to…I’m just as in the dark as you are, Dear.” Lisa admitted, grabbing the dish towel to wipe her hands dry as the sound of Chris’ footfalls in the hall met their ears a second before he reappeared with a bucket, a shoe box, and a small carton tucked in his arm; setting everything on the table, Lisa moved from the sink, muttering under her breath as she retrieved the old newspaper that hadn’t made it into the recycling yet, shoving it at her son, saying, “Is this the time for arts and crafts, Chris? Really? It’s almost midnight…”

“For what I have in mind, yes…I’ll clean up, I promise. Can we have some privacy, Ma? Please?” Chris asked, trying to convey through his manners and facial expression it was more of a request than a question. Taking the hint, Lisa smiled, giving him and hug and a kiss, then bending to do the same with Katie, her whispered words in his girlfriend’s ear preceded her telling them goodnight and slipping out of the room.

Katie reached up, taking the papers from Chris to spread out on the table; reaching out, she picked up the small, narrow carton to read the label.

“Plaster of Paris…Chris, what are we doing?”

He pulled the box from her grip, lifting it to scan through the instructions before tearing the crimp at the top open and dumping the dusty mix into the bucket; walking over to the sink, he set the bucket in one side of the double basins, turning the faucet on in the other and filling up the measuring cup in the drainer on the side of the sink to pour the right amount of liquid into the dust. He turned the faucet off, setting aside the cup to stick a hand in the guts of the bucket, mixing the contents to the right consistency before walking back to the table.

Setting the bucket on the newspaper, Chris reached his clean hand out, lifting Katie’s chin to make her look at him; “We’re making a marker…a memorial for our first child…something to always be a physical presence in our lives…-” He explained, smiling softly down at her before bending to press his lips to hers in a tender kiss; breaking the touch, Chris brushed his thumb along her chin, moving to her lip as he leaned back before seeing the tears welling in her still swollen eyes, dashing them away when they spilled. Muttering a soft curse, he felt guilty for making her cry yet again in the short time they had been back in Boston. “-Shit…Baby, I didn’t mean to upset you…”

“I’m not upset.” Katie reassured him, reaching up to caress his face in return. “I just wasn’t expecting this…wasn’t expecting you to…” She added, waving her free hand at the set up in front of them.

“To what? Babe, I told you, I’m grieving in my own way right now…this is for both of us, to help us get closer to finding closure-” He said, stirring the mix, glancing between the bucket and Katie; the mixture was supposed to start setting up quickly, so Chris pointed his chin at the lid of the shoe box, asking, “Can you grab the lid and hold it steady for me, please? Gotta act quick or I’ll be stuck in a bucket of plaster soon…”

Katie dashed her hand under her eyes, reaching for the cardboard and holding it secure for Chris to begin pouring the mixture into the mold it created; she shook the lid back and forth to even out the distribution and knock any air bubbles to the surface while Chris rinsed his hand off back at the sink, coming to stand next to her, a pencil in hand while the plaster thickened to the right texture do what he wanted.

“Okay, stand up…Let me see your hand…no, your left…there.-” He said, setting the pencil down next to the mold before helping her up. Adjusting her hand he explained, getting his own into position just above the surface of the plaster, “-So…I was thinking about this earlier, when you were asleep after I came back upstairs this morning…and since we can’t have a hand or foot print of our baby, we take yours…-” Chris pressed Katie’s left hand into the wet, following with his right, the tips of their thumbs and pointer fingers touching, making a heart as he went on saying, “-and we take mine…two halves of the whole, made out of love…bigger than either of us could have imagined-” Pulling his hand out of setting plaster a few beats later, he signaled she could do the same, adding as he rotated the mold to show the heart the impression their hands made, “-and greater than the grief we feel now in our loss…”

Reaching for the pencil, he fitted it into his hand, getting ready to write. Chris dragged the tip in the setting marker, writing  ‘Nov. 2016’ in the bottom right corner; looking to Katie, he offered the pencil to her, to add words.

She took the implement, looking down at the slab while taking a moment to inhale deeply and find the right words before leaning one hand on the tabletop and touching the tip to the surface, adding the chorus of _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_ on one side of the stone.

_Someday I’ll wish upon a star_

_And wake up where the clouds are far behind me_

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops_

_Away above the chimney tops_

_That’s where you’ll find me_

Reading as she wrote, Chris realized that song truly did mean more to her than she let on, and now he would have the eternal connection of that famous song linking him to the thoughts of the baby they would never know, never get to hold, kiss, love or watch grow whenever he heard it in whichever version it played, whether in The Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland or crooned along with a ukulele by Iz or any of the many artists that put their own spin on it over the years. _  
_

Moving to the blank space on the other side, Chris watched silently, his heart breaking as she wrote, ‘ _Forever in our hearts_ ’ before handing the pencil back to Chris to let him add whatever he wanted; he braced himself on the tabletop like she had done, touching the tip to the surface to add a tiny dash behind her sentiments along with ‘ _Love Mommy & Daddy_’.

Katie’s loud sniff told him she was crying again, her hand resting on his back as she stepped closer, bowing her head as she moved to envelop his waist in a hug; he hated knowing he made her cry, but he also knew that deep down, they both would want to see those words because even though it was still so early on, this was still their baby and they had been parents, even if they hadn’t known it. Finishing the dedication, he paused a second not wanting to write ‘Baby’ but never being able to know what the sex would have been, it hit him, realizing his ‘ _two halves that make up the whole_ ’ idea had given him the answer; touching the pencil to the stone one final time, he wrote ‘ _KC Evans_ ’ in large letters.

Setting the pencil down on the newspapers, Chris reached for Katie once more, pulling her from her position around his body to stand next to him, holding right hand up to close it into a fist, leaving only the  thumb out as he pressed it at an angle to the center of the larger heart, leaving the impression in the tacky surface; pulling her hand away, Chris repeated the action with his left hand, completing another heart, this one smaller-her print inside the half of the half his hand formed, and his inside to hers, meeting in the middle.

In that moment, looking from the small slab of hardening plaster to each other, Chris felt something, a sense of calm washing over him at the same time of feeling like they had just made some sort of unspoken pledge to one another.

“Kay…” Chris whispered, stepping into her body, he touched his forehead to hers before adding, “Why do I feel like that was more than what I originally planned it to be?”

“Because it was…” Katie swallowed hard, taking a deep breath before telling him in a soft, soothing voice, “That would have been a bonding ceremony a few hundred years ago…we’d be married now if we were back in medieval times and had used our blood instead of setting plaster.”

That sense of calm peace settled over him, her serenity at the idea lifting his heart from all the sorrow and sadness, making him soar when she added, “You know, I’m yours and you’re mine…right?”

It was his turn to cry, feeling his eyes water.

“What are you trying to tell me, Babe? You’re ready for me to ask you?” He chuckled, feeling genuinely happy for the first time since she dropped the bomb on him the night before.

“Just that….I’m yours and you’re mine…in my heart, what’s left of it right now anyways, you’re my husband.-” Katie confessed, wrapping her arms around Chris’ neck, pressing her face to his, continuing to tell him, “-I’ve been so scared…of how fast we’ve been moving, of not being enough, of _this_ and having to tell you, of my emotions and hang ups…but I’m not scared anymore…not about us! Chris, you were right, and facing this on my own has shown me that sometimes you just can’t be an island, pushing people away when they want to help…you’re my rock, and I’m ready when you are…”

Feeling completely flabbergasted in his mother’s kitchen, Chris felt his mouth working for words but nothing came out as his eyes searched hers, desperate to confirm she was serious. Nodding her head, the corners of her mouth curled up in a warm smile.

“I’ve been ready since you left Anna’s house the night we met.” He finally managed to get out, sniffing to stop the runny nose that joined his tears of happiness still tinged with grief. “Baby…I’ll drop down on my knees right now and ask you to marry me if that’s what you want…”

Her smile reaching her eyes, she let an emotional laugh ring out, saying with some of the sass that had been held hostage with what she had been through, reassuring Chris she was slowly on the road to overcoming their loss, “I thought you already knew the answer…”

“And I thought you wanted to be asked…-” Chris grinned, cradling her face in his hands grinning like the ecstatic fool he was in that moment, completely forgetting about the coating of plaster we still wore as he breathed against her mouth, “-There you are…my fiery, sassy little filly…I knew she was still in there.” When he pulled back, he couldn’t help but cry, knowing she was on her way to coming back to him.

“I love you.” Katie whispered, brushing the back of her knuckles over his cheek to catch the tear trail that was lost in his growing scruff.

“I know…” He breathed, leaning in again to touch his lips to hers, whispering, “I love you too…-” Pulling back the tiniest amount, he sank to a knee; looking up at Katie, he asked through a thick and soggy voice, “-Baby, will you marry me?”

Her tight smile and gentle nod met his gaze, tears welling in both their eyes as she bent to hold his face, her thumbs brushing the falling tears from under his eyes.

“Yes.”

The bittersweet pang of saying goodbye to the baby they hadn’t planned on and didn’t know of until it was too late to do anything to save was still there, numb and aching but the sheer happiness of securing his future with the woman in front of him overshadowed everything.

“I shouldn’t feel like this right now…so happy, with what we’re going through…but Baby, I can’t even begin to tell you…-” Chris sobbed, emotions taking over as he looked up into Katie’s face; her matching expression told him she was feeling the same.

“I know-” She said, interrupting. “-I didn’t think I’d feel anything close to ‘happy’ for a very long time, not after this, but I’m getting there, and right now…I feel so guilty for feeling like I’m going to float right off the earth, standing in front of our baby’s marker, but it won’t bring her back…”

“Her?” Chris asked, forehead furrowed and eyes searching her face as he stood back to full height. “You said you were only…it was too early to know…”

“Gut feeling…” Katie confessed, sheepishly, her eyes cast down at the floor. “They’re never wrong…”

Pulling her into his arms, Chris wrapped his arms as tightly and as securely as he could, resting his cheek on her head.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now, just stay focused on the future…we’re getting married, and eventually we’re gonna start a family…until that time comes, it’s you and me.”

* * *

The emotional talk and unexpected decision to move forward in their relationship had left both Katie and Chris drained; moving about the kitchen, they cleaned up the table, Chris moving the hardening plaster slab to the garage to finish setting up without being disturbed while Katie washed out the bucket and disposed of the garbage, fulfilling his promise to Lisa that the kitchen would be clean in the morning before retiring upstairs to cocoon themselves in the privacy of his old room.

Katie hadn’t changed out of the sweats she wore to bed the night before, but upon walking into the bedroom, she immediately went to her suitcase, digging for clean clothes.

“Babe, what are you doing?” Chris asked, stopping to stand next to her, looking down into the pile of clothes. His hand reached out, brushing hair back off her face when she looked up.

“It’s too late to take a shower, and I feel gross…I need to get out of these and into something fresh…help me feel better and let me sleep.-” She told him, offering him a tired smile that only lifted half of her face, apologizing, “-I’m sorry, I know you were looking forward to having sex, and with my body still recovering, I’m just not ready to strip down…”

“Babe…” Chris smiled sadly, brushing his thumb along her jaw, telling Katie, “It’s okay, honestly…I mean, yes, I _WAS_ looking forward to that, but I get it. I understand…you’re in my bed, and that’s all I care about right now. We’ll keep the window open, so it stays cold and I’ll keep my P.J.’s on…just as long as I have you in my arms, I’ll be fine.”

The look of relief on her face, made his heart ache. He had been looking forward to reconnecting on a physical level for more than a week, and his hand wasn’t the same as when he was balls deep in her, but with the news she was still recovering from such a traumatic experience, he accepted that self imposed celibacy was his fate until Katie was ready both physically and more important, mentally.

“Anyways, I have something for you…” Chris spoke softly, moving his thumb to ghost over her lip as he broke from his inner thoughts, changing the subject. He extended his other hand, offering to help her stand so he could get into his bag behind hers next to the closet. Chris stepped over her bag, shifting it to give him some room to kneel as he fished out what he was looking for, finally finding it and turning around to hold out a box from a jewelry store; it wasn’t the small, square shape of a ring box but a slightly bigger, more rectangular shape of a necklace box.

Opening the lid, Chris took a deep breath, explaining, “I was planning on giving you this while you were here anyways…but now it’s got more meaning, and since I don’t have a ring for you…well, this will have to be a placeholder for now…”

He turned the open box in his hand, to show Katie what was inside-a delicate chain in gold, carrying a small medallion with a ‘C’ set in tiny diamond chips.

“Chris…” She breathed, looking up from the necklace, her eyes locking with his as she reached out with one hand, touching the metal of the pendant.

“It’s less conspicuous than a ring…and I wasn’t exactly planning on proposing, much less getting a yes from you, so I’m sorry it’s not a ring and some big romantic set up to sweep you off your feet Babe, but…”

“It’s perfect.” She said, cutting him off with a finger pressed to his lips. “We’ve got the rest of our lives to be romantic, this was exactly how it was supposed to happen…” Katie told him, becoming introspective with her reflection on how the universe seemed to be unfolding it’s plan for them,  going on to tell him, with a soft chortle, “I love you, and honestly, we haven’t been traditional in any other sense have we? Why start now? If my engagement ring is actually an engagement necklace, I couldn’t care less, I’m still gonna marry you.”

“Good.” Chris smiled. Pulling his hand back, he turned the box back to face him, pulling the tab to get the chain free. He held it dangling from his fingers, motioning for her to turn around to allow him to put the necklace on her, but not before she worked the sweatshirt off her body, dropping it to the floor where the shirt she wore soon followed as she pulled a clean one on before changing from the sweatpants to her preferred yoga pants before standing so he could place his bauble around her neck, officially proclaiming his intent in making her his forever.

Turning back to face Chris, Katie watched him through warm, gentle eyes, still tinged with sadness in the red and swollen appearance but with love and happiness overruling.

“I love you…so much.” Chris admitted, reaching to touch the small, cool disc that rested on her bare skin, peeking out at him in the v-neck shirt she had pulled on. “I’m sorry this had to happen…it kills me, seeing you go through everything you’ve been through in the last week, knowing I wasn’t there to help…but no more. I can’t help if you won’t let me, and that’s all I want…to keep you safe, secure and happy…to love you, and cherish you…and to share my life with you and however many kids we’re blessed with.-” He said, moving to pull her into his chest, holding Katie close he went on, “-I told you I couldn’t wait to change your last name, well…I can’t. I have to be back in L.A. late next week for studio meetings and business stuff, I want you to come down, come see me, please? We can make plans, ‘cause I can’t wait until I come back from press obligations and other shit overseas after Awards Season to marry you…”

“Chris…we JUST got engaged. With everything we’ve got going on right now, with everything we’re dealing with…let’s just enjoy the moment tonight.” Katie said, sensing the anxiety rising in him at planning a wedding on top of what was to come with his business requirements in the coming months. “We can talk about it in the morning, but if worse comes to worst, and you’re so dead set on marrying me in a rush, I live in Vegas, remember? ‘Elopement capital of the world’…”

“You’d be okay with that?” He asked. “You don’t want a big wedding in a church, with all these people we barely say two words to on a regular basis watching and hoping there’s prime rib and an open bar afterwards?”

“Chris…honestly? No. I don’t…it’s too much stress and anxiety, especially still coping with what just happened…” Katie confessed, explaining, “I’ve been in enough weddings, worked with enough brides to know how stressful planning a wedding truly is! I’d much rather run off and elope and be able to remember everything clearly over putting so much time, effort and energy into a huge production for other people and barely being able to remember a single thing about the day! Baby, if you want to elope, I’m more than fine with that!”

Chuckling, he touched his forehead to hers, telling her in all honesty, “Gahd, I love you…you certainly do keep me on my toes, ya know that?”

“So do you, Mister…” Her smile could be heard in her voice when she asked, “We’re really gonna do this? We’re getting married, and we’re doing it soon?”

“Yes, soon.” He confirmed, mind racing as he held her tight, going over the things he knew he had committed to in the next few months, trying to single out a date but resigning himself to worry about it in the morning when he could call in some favors. Sighing heavily, Chris have her one more squeeze, telling Katie, “We should probably get to bed, it’s getting late…”

* * *

Laying on his back, Chris turned his head to the left to look at the clock on the nightstand through bleary eyes; it was almost 5AM. Not quite four hours since they had crawled into bed, Dodger curling up in the space behind Katie’s legs along the wall; she had snuggled into him and fallen right to sleep, a feat in and of itself from what he knew of her and her difficulties with insomnia, but whenever they had been together, she seemed to have no problem with falling asleep and staying asleep except for the previous night, but then again, that was an extraneous circumstance he noted…

Turning to his right side, he shifted closer to Katie’s comatose form, facing him, hand extended in her sleep to touch him; yawning wide, he settled back into his pillow, extending his arm under it before pushing under Katie’s as well, scooting closer towards the center of the mattress and her. In the faint light cast off of the moon in the overcast early morning sky, he got comfy, watching her sleep as he laid there next to her, listening to the even sound of her breathing, taking comfort in the tiny movements her body made…in quiet observation, he took stock, his eyes traveling over her face and body slowly, leisurely as they adjusted to the low light.

He noticed her dark lashes were straight as they fanned over the skin of her bottom eyelid, shorter than his as she liked to point out to him whenever she could…he took a moment to appreciate the the fullness of her cheeks, currently squished towards her mouth, making her look like the most adorable little duck as her lips stuck out…her dark hair, having been trimmed and styled to add long layers in the front to frame her face before coming to see him in Atlanta had fallen out of the loose and messy french braid she worked her hair into before bed, fell in front of her eyes, so he pushed the strands back, touching and petting the dark chocolate colored locks while he noted the shape of her eyes, angled up just a touch at the outer corners…her nose was straight and hinted at her Italian heritage as well as the touch of Cherokee that showed in her high cheekbones.

Exhaling, he sighed, smiling at the thought of the unique color of green that made up those eyes of hers…olive green at first glance, but depending on how she felt, her mood, what she wore or the environment around her, could range from light jade to deep emerald with flecks of gold and dark khaki circling the pupils, a smoky green at the outside rim of her irises…those eyes were so expressive, they could stop him with a glance, the spark of mischievousness that lit them was one of the first things that held him in a trance that first night they met, and now…he could see the old soul in her through those eyes, and it was one of the things he loved most about her…that and the fact they were gorgeous.

_‘I know you want me to pass on my eyelashes to our kids…but only if you pass on those green eyes…dark hair and light eyes, just like their Momma.’_ He thought sleepily, smiling to himself as he pressed closer, his left arm lifting to drape over her, pulling her to him; Dodger’s head lifted from her hip, not appreciating being woken up, but he soon adjusted, laying his head back on her waist, licking Chris’ arm. Katie stretched in her sleep, humming as she relaxed, instinctively nuzzling closer into Chris’ body. His mind managed to pull one more tiny smile over his face with sleep tugging him back under, thinking as he kissed the top of her forehead, _‘Gahd, you’re beautiful and you said yes…_ ’

* * *

Blinking in the grey light trying to permeate the blinds, I took my time waking up; I was pinned to the bed, Chris laying partially on top of me on one side and Dodger snuggled up in the space between the wall and my body on the other side. My left arm was pressed between Chris’ body, mine and the mattress, while the dog had decided he needed a cuddle, resting his head on my bicep with my hand in his fur on his torso.

_‘So much testosterone…too early in the morning…too hot…’_ was my first string of cohesive thoughts, looking from one of my boys to the other before yawning wide. Dodger felt my stirring, moving his head back to level me with a baleful look, asking why I was bothering him when he was content sleeping.

Moving my hand to scratch his chest, he stretched, his body shivering with the spasms before relaxing in my hold, his head moved to lick at my face in a greeting.

“Hey bud…should I wake up the big guy? I need to go to the bathroom, and I suspect you’d probably appreciate a trip outside too…” I whispered, turning my head into his furry face for a cuddle; the dog stayed silent, the only sound in the room other than the gentle in and out of Chris’ breathing and gentle snores against my neck was the soft beating of Dodger’s tail, showing his happiness at having not only his human back but being lavished with attention.

I didn’t have the heart to wake Chris up when he was out cold, so I laid there, enjoying the closeness, eyes closed as I drifted in and out of consciousness a little longer; the feeling one strong arm tensing up, drawing me closer to the impressive chest I was supporting as it laid on top of me woke me the second before a strangled groan signaled Chris was waking up and I could finally pee.

Humming, I turned my face away from the soft, silky fur that rested on the back of Dodger’s head to face my sleepy and grumpy man; feeling the corners of my mouth curl into a soft smile, I greeted him.

“Morning…I’m glad you’re awake because I have to pee.” I told him, lifting my arm out from around Dodger, to turn into Chris’ embrace; my hand reaching between us, I snaked it up his chest to caress his cheek, leaning in to peck a gentle kiss to his lips; still half asleep, his lips were puckered, wanting more when I retreated, making me actually chuckle for the first time since I told him.

“Come back and give me more…need more…” He whispered dreamily, his voice much like my own, hoarse from sleeping with the window open in the New England late fall; the arm that held me close once he shifted off my body made a slow and lazy path up and down my back, rubbing his hand in wide passes before slipping under the hem of the shirt I had worn to bed. Leaning his face forward, Chris touched his nose to mine, lips puckered and stuck out asking for another kiss.

“Baby…I really have to pee, and I’m sure I have some gnarly morning breath, because you do too…” I laughed, teasing him as I rubbed the end of my nose with his in Eskimo kisses.

“If I let you out of bed, you need to come right back-” He breathed, eyes still closed and his hand tracing patterns over the skin on the small of my back, making his way lower and lower. The touch of his warm fingers slipping under the band of my yoga pants to caress the naked skin of my ass, had me freezing in his arms as he went on sleepily, “-I’m not ready to get up yet…you’re warm, soft, and parts of me really miss parts of you…”

“Chris…” I warned softly, trying to get his attention as I pulled my arm from between our bodies, reaching behind me to still his hand from migrating in and down before he ventured on to his targeted destination. “I’m not ready…”

He was quiet for a beat longer than I expected, withdrawing his hand from the back of my pants with a soft curse.

“Shit…I’m sorry, Babe-” He apologized, groaning while his now free hand met his face, scrubbing over it to wake himself up as well as hide his embarrassment. “-I’m still half asleep, and I’m not going to lie, I was having a really great dream…I know you’re still recovering, physically and mentally, I shouldn’t have said…”

“It’s okay.” I told him, reassuring him as well as myself. “I know you didn’t mean to…I know you meant it, what you said last night.-” I went on, affirming my trust in him and his respect for me and my body, adding “-I’m not ready right now, but I promise, you’ll be the first to know when I am…I feel guilty though…”

“Why, Baby?” He asked on a jaw cracking yawn, rolling to his back as his left hand rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He shifted to rest more securely on the bed instead of hanging half way off it as I explained, peeking at the tent in the blankets over his crotch.

“You were looking forward to a week of sex…and I show up, dropping the news of your life on you and telling you ‘Surprise! No nookie for you!’-” I admitted, shifting to sit up; looking down at him, in his ‘Tom Brady’s my Spirit Animal’ shirt and blinking himself awake, I motioned to the protrusion his erection made next to me, I offered, “-Want a hand? I mean, I know it’s not sex, but…it’s a change from your hand at least?”

His face broke into an actual grin, his body shaking as he began cracking up, his right hand lifting from between us to clutch his chest as he laughed.

“I don’t know what the fahk I did to get you, but Gahd! I love you…Baby, thank you for the offer, but I’m a big boy, I can manage morning wood and while I appreciate the intent to help…if you’re not ready, don’t feel like you have to do that either…” He smiled, wiping his eyes of the tears his laughing had caused; I missed that sound, and it felt like a balm, soothing and comforting me in a way I hadn’t known I needed. “But I may take you up on that offer later, because if I keep on like how I’ve been going this last week, I think I’m gonna get carpal tunnel…”

Ducking my face forward, I couldn’t hold in the genuine laugh he got from me; while it felt like weight lifting off my shoulders with each laugh, chortle and chuckle, it also made me feel guilty, feeling so happy when I should have still been mourning, still wallowing in my loss, but with Chris holding my hand through it all now, I had the brightness and warmth of him and his love thawing the icy cold of grief and depression that had begun to engulf me, leading me along the path of recovery.

Lifting my face just enough to catch his eye, I smiled at him.

“Maybe we should go shopping…-” I said, grinning like a fool as I reached over, petting the tented sheets like I would Dodger, making Chris groan when I gave him a gentle squeeze, adding, “-find you something comparable to save your wrist.”

* * *

Eventually they got up, making their way downstairs for coffee and a bite to eat, the house quiet with everybody gone for the day which allowed them to take their time showering, getting ready for the day, and picking Scott up at the airport later that afternoon.

“You don’t have to come if you’re not up to it…Scott will have heard by now, thanks to Ma and my sisters, plus you know how he is…” Chris said over his shoulder as he dug out a pair of boots from the bottom of the closet; Katie sat on the edge of the bed, dressed and ready to go, her face fresh and free of makeup under the oversized beanie she wore. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to see her like that when she didn’t need to be made up for work, but Chris secretly loved and treasured the times he got to see her, just her and not the enhanced version of what her skills could do.

“I’m fine, Chris!” Katie repeated for the sixth time since they got out of bed. “It’s not like he’s _NOT_ going to be his usual obnoxious, in your face and business self here versus at the airport…it’s not going to matter, because I’ll have to deal with it either way, and honestly…I’d rather just get his reaction out of the way, and having it contained to the car with just you, him and me will be a helluva lot better and easier than here at the house where little ears are listening…-” She told him, breaking it down as she loved on Dodger who sat in front of her, his head in her lap, soaking up all the attention with a look of rapturous delight. “-Plus, I was serious earlier…we have time before we have to be at the airport…we should stop and find you a pocket pussy for when we aren’t together…”

Staring into the depths of the packed closet in his old room, he froze, trying to process what she had just said. Blinking, he asked, “Excuse me? Did you just tell me you were serious about that? That you want to go to the adult bookstore and go toy shopping…two days after you told me you lost a pregnancy neither of us knew about?”

“Well…yeah.” She answered softly; he caught her shrug as he turned to look at her, forehead raised in question if she had gone mad. “I just…like I said, I feel guilty…I don’t know how long before I’m gonna be mentally ready to-” Katie waved her hand between their bodies, lifting in another shrug as she made a face. “-ya know…and I’d rather you have something other than your hand to help get you through this rough patch…” she explained, the guilt growing more and more apparent as her voice got quieter and quieter.

“Kay…” Chris said, calling softly to get her attention; looking up from Dodger’s head, she offered him a small, sad smile so he reassured her. “Don’t feel guilty. I don’t blame you, you couldn’t do anything to change this, but if it means that much to you, we can make a stop…but I’m not going in.”

“What? Chris…” Katie deflated on a whine, her shoulders slumping. “The whole point is to go shopping together!”

“Babe…getting caught at the adult store, here in Massachusetts with you isn’t exactly the best idea…that’s gonna big news if the wrong person puts two and two together and decides to post _‘So…I saw Captain America at the porn shop with the chick from that podcast…they were shopping for pocket pussies!’_ ” He said, trying to explain his worry. “Kay…if I get caught, 1. Marvel won’t be happy about it…2. If somebody recognizes me, they’ll try to figure out who the mystery brunette I was with is, and that’ll be a huge flashing neon sign confirming to those assholes at the gossip mags that we’ll together…with what just happened, I don’t want people prying into our relationship, poking around and finding out about that…that’s not something I want the world to know about. _That’s_ something that stays within our very inner circle…just like _you_ stay within my inner circle.”

Standing from his crouched position, Chris crossed the room, squatting next to Dodger; taking Katie’s hand, he held it, giving it a reassuring squeeze as we went on saying, “I’m not hiding you away because I’m ashamed…don’t ever think that, because it’s the farthest thing from the truth! I’m keeping things quiet about you to protect you…to let us have some normalcy when we are together. The gossip rags and that asshole Perez… _THEY_ don’t get to set the terms when it comes to us…when it comes to you! They get what I _want_ , what I _allow_ them to have…they get _you_ … _US_ on _MY_ terms…that goes for our family too.-” He said, making sure she understood the ramifications of what she was proposing with the steeliness in his voice and the firm look he gave her before realizing he got a little too intense, and softened his tone, tugging her arm towards him to kiss the back of her palm before apologizing, “I’m sorry, but you mean too much to me to let them get the upper hand…you’re my family now and that means I have to keep you safe.”

“You’re afraid of going to the porn shop…” She teased, lifting her hand, still entwined with his, to poke the end of his nose playfully, trying to make him laugh to break the spell of his admission.

“I’m not afraid of the porn shop-” He chuckled, cracking a smile. “It’s being spotted at the porn shop, with my secret girlfr…”

“Fiancee.” Katie smiled, her left hand lifting from her lap, her right pulling from his grasp to grab a hold of the lapels of his flannel shirt, giving them a gentle tug towards her.

“… ** _FIANCEE_** -” He corrected, unable to fight the smile that spread over his face as he said the word for the first time, loving the sound of it before continuing with, “-with my fiancee, that nobody knows about, a little over a week after you had a miscarriage in the Atlanta airport… _THAT’S_ a _whopper_ of a headline waiting to happen if I’m spotted and somebody decides to go digging…so, we can stop, but you’ll go in by yourself and surprise me with what you pick out tonight. That’s my deal, either that or no dice…”

Humming out an unamused sigh, Katie made a disappointed face, frowning slightly at him while her hands pulled and swung on the edges of his flannel.

“That’s no fun though…” She pouted, making him smile, as the threat to cave and give her what she wanted loomed large in his heart.

“I told you, keeping ‘ _us_ ’ under wraps, at least until we’re married is too important, especially now…” Chris told her, steeling his will against those big sad eyes and bottom lip stuck out.

_‘That’s gonna be a problem…’_ He thought to himself with a laugh, recognizing how much of a pushover he was when she hit him full force with that look.

Her eyes traveled over his face, narrow and shrewd.

“Protective, Alpha mode…two day’s of scruff on your face…flannel…it’s like Curtis Everett went lumberjack and turned into a Grizzly bear…I like it.-” She said, lips curling at the corners as she pulled him to her for kiss, whispering against his lips, “-You’re going to be _SUCH_ a pushover when it comes to our kids, but damn, I don’t want to think about the poor idiot on the receiving end of angry ‘Poppa Bear Evans’…you’re scary when you’re angry, Mr. Potato Head.”

“’Mr. Potato Head’? Where’d _THAT_ come from?” He burst out laughing.

[Originally posted by wonderlander-x](https://tmblr.co/ZuhKVsn-tqWz)

“You have angry eyes!” Katie laughed right along with him, impersonating the scene from Toy Story 2 where Mrs. Potato Head packs up Mr. Potato Head with his various accessories…”And I’m packing your ‘Angry Eyes’, just in case!”

[Originally posted by piercethealltimesleepingveil](https://tmblr.co/ZC9HFn22C_PEc)

“Oh my Gahd…I fahking love you, you nerd!” Chris cracked up, rocking on the balls of his feet, holding onto Katie’s knees to keep from falling over.

“I love you too, but _YOU’RE_ just as big of a nerd as I am!” She pointed out, caressing his cheeks as she chuckled watching him. “And our pack of Wildings will look at you the same way those little green aliens looked at Mr. Potato Head…I’m going to laugh when you’ve got kids clinging to you shouting, ‘Daddy! Daddy!’ and you look to the sky and bargain for your patience just like he did.”

[Originally posted by disneypixar](https://tmblr.co/ZICIKv1bI9RYs)

“And I’ll love every fahking minute of it, because I’ll tell them, _‘Go see your mother! Go bother her!’_ ”

Her eyes rounded, her jaw hanging open slightly, she gasped, “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Try me.” He chuckled before giving her knee a squeeze, telling her, “Come on…we better get going so _YOU_ can go make your special purchase and _WE_ can get lunch before we have to pick up Scotty. I just have to find my other boot…”

* * *

The drive back into Boston had been pleasant, the sky still cold and grey with the clouds lingering, but the rain broke for now with the promise of more that night and possibly the first snow of the season if the temperatures continued to dropp. The roads were wet, offering a soothing sound as Chris drove, until I synced my phone with the Bluetooth in the rental, turning on a playlist of sounds I found comforting in the glum weather. The first notes of _Fly Me to the Moon_ began and I clicked through to the next song, relaxing when Dean Martin began singing.

It was too soon after what had happened for me to be listening to _that_ song…thinking not only of the recent loss I suffered, but also making me think of losing my father nearly a decade earlier, and that combination was just too much to handle; it would have certainly had me falling to pieces in the passenger seat and Chris would have turned the car right around and taken me back to the house, proclaiming I had been full of it and wasn’t ready to be out and about.

The choice in music seemed to take Chris by surprise, as he glanced over at me, his face silently asking, ‘Really?’.

“The Rat Pack is perfect for a rainy day road trip…nothing too brash, or stressful, familiar voices I grew up listening to…” I offered with a small shrug, humming along as Dean faded and Louis Prima’s bouncy band played him through ‘Angelina/Zooma Zooma’. Hunkering down in my bucket seat, I snuggled into the sweater I wore as he drove, putting miles behind us while Frank, Dean, Louis and others sang in the time it took for us to drive the turnpike, eventually pulling off and finding our way to a little strip mall on the edge of the city and suburbia.

Chris popped the car in park, turning off the ignition and twisted to face me while pulling his wallet from his back pocket. Opening the worn and broken in leather fold, he looked at the cash he had on him, pulling a couple of bills from the rest and holding them out towards me.

“Really?” I asked, leveling him with an unimpressed glare.

“What?” He asked, shrugging his shoulders. “I told you, surprise me! Babe, believe me…this is one instance I would love to go shopping with you, but I can’t risk the chances.”

Rolling my eyes, I snorted out a perturbed sigh, unbuckling the seat belt and reaching for my purse on the floorboard behind my booted feet; pulling the door handle open, I threw the door, stepping out of the SUV. I held on to the door and frame, poking my head back inside to smile at Chris.

“I’m not using your money to buy you a present…you want to spend it, you do your own shopping!” I told him, sticking my tongue out at the end to add to my defiant and petulant stance. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a nondescript ball cap, tossing it to him, adding as I nodded at the NASA cap he wore, “In case you get bored out here, waiting for me…I think _EVERYBODY_ knows **_THAT_** hat…”

Stepping back, I closed the door, wrapping the oversized sweater wrap tight around me before pulling my slouchy beanie lower to cover my ears, I made a dash for the door under the sign that advertised in a family friendly way among the other stores around it where to find naughty things for all desires.

* * *

Chris sat in the driver’s seat, still holding the money he offered, watching as Katie sprinted through the drizzle and wind, opening the blacked out door and slipping inside. His eyes pulled away from the door, to look down at the plain black cap she pulled from the depths of her purse like Mary fucking Poppins. Shaking his head, he set it on the dashboard to stuff the bills back in his wallet, grumbling and mumbling about fiery, strong, stubborn women with curves made for sinning and hearts made for loving and how they would be the death of him.

Leaning to one side, he shoved his wallet into his back pocket once more, retrieving his phone to finally glance at his calendar to narrow down a date to make it official. He knew the early half of December was _too_ soon, and wouldn’t work with her schedule filling up for Holiday parties and the full load of brides she would be working with the closer it got to Christmas and New Year’s…

“That’s it. That’s when it has to happen…” He said softly, the idea hitting him square between the eyes. Backing out of the calendar, he scrolled to his contacts, finding just who he wanted and pressing the call button. It took three rings, but soon a familiar voice greeted him on the other end.

“Hey! Chris, man, how’s it going? What can I do for you?” A cheery voice asked.

“Tyler, what’s up? Thing’s are great with me…listen, I was calling to ask a favor…” Chris told the young man on the other end of the phone.

“What’s the favor? We’ll see what I can do…”

“What do you have available to book next month?” Chris asked, watching the door to the adult store. A soft hiss met his ears as the sounds of tapping could be picked up through the phone.

“We’re pretty booked, I’m sorry to say…is there a certain time frame you’re looking at for next month?” Tyler, his usual concierge at Caesar’s asked, looking over the reservations.

“The 28th or 29th through the 1st…” Chris told his miracle worker, closing his eyes as he waited for the bad news; Tyler’s low whistle summed up the reaction fairly well, he knew it was a long shot to secure a reservation at Caesar’s for New Year’s Eve on short notice, but he had wanted to surprise Katie and his favorite resort was pretty much center of the Strip, affording plush lodgings and he suspected a damn great view of the fireworks display when they went off at midnight.

“You’re not asking much are you, Evans?” Tyler chuckled as he continued clicking and typing, finally making a sound he found something that could work. “I can book you…but only the 28th. We’re full up, except for the penthouses…it looks like I’ve got one available New Year’s Eve, but I don’t know how long it will be available if you wait…”

“The 35 Grand Penthouse?” Chris asked, scrubbing his hand down his face, smoothing his scruffy start to a beard down as he took in the options Tyler gave him before sighing, “Fahk it…book it. If anybody cancels their reservations in the days before that, can you call me?”

“Yeah, I’ll keep my eyes open and let you know if anything opens up before then. I’ll get the reservation confirmed and shoot you an email once it’s all locked in! Looking forward to your upcoming visit, man! Anything else I can get for you, Chris?”

“Oh, yeah! Tyler, which chapels would you recommend?” Chris asked, remembering his next thing on the list in a hurry as he saw the door open to the store, but an older man stepped out, black bag in one hand, his cane in another. Frowning, he stopped to process the scene in front of him, but shook himself out of it before his mind went too far with the possibilities of what the old man had procured while in the store his woman was actively shopping for _him_ in.

“Wedding chapels?”

“Yeah…a couple of really close friends are eloping and haven’t decided on a chapel yet…as one of their witnesses, I figured I’d do my part to help.” Chris said, bending the truth just enough to keep the speculation off his plans…at least, he thought it was a good enough attempt until he caught Tyler’s snicker on the other end of the phone.

“Dude…you’re secret’s safe with me. It’s a small world after all…I worked with Katie at Starbucks a few years back and she’s my go-to if we get parties wanting the services she offers. We’re Instagram friends…we keep in touch.”

“Are you fahking shitting me?” He smiled, laughing to himself as he shook his head, amused. “Small fahking world, man…”

His phone vibrating against his ear startled Chris from his flabbergasted reflection on just how small the world indeed seemed to be; pulling it from his face, he looked at the screen seeing Katie sent him a photo message. He pressed the preview banner, opening the text and had to swallow back a groan; the picture consisted of a box featuring a man resembling him in the slightest way possible, advertising a Captain America sex doll. Lifting the phone back to his ear, Chris told Tyler, “Hey man, I gotta go…can you email a list of ones you’d recommend? Thanks, I’ll talk to you later!”

Chris hit the end call button, going back to the message as another came in, this time a text telling him porn was on sale as well as lube. He took a deep breath, knowing she was trying to entice him inside and he shifted in his seat, widening his legs to get more comfortable with the instant semi that sprang up as she mentioned looking at the lingerie and other ‘clothing’ in the stores inventory, imagining the different styles of lace and sheer material that would cover but not conceal her body before she stopped suddenly. He sat staring at his phone, noting the time tick by; it was close to fifteen minutes later when his phone rang, a picture of Katie’s face puckered up in a kiss for his camera in his backyard in L.A. popping up.

“How long does it take to buy a toy, Missy? Are you almost done?” He asked, laughing as he told her, “Hurry up! I gotta take a piss!”

“Well, since YOU won’t come inside, and you’re the expert on my vagina…you’re talking to the guy working, because I don’t know what I feel like to you…fit, texture…” Katie started to say, but Chris hushed her.

“Babe! Not so loud…you don’t know WHO is in there!” He warned.

“You big weenie, just talk to…Pete? I think his name is Pete…nope, I was wrong, that says Pussy Power.-” Katie mused, telling Chris about the pin on the employee’s shirt, sounding a little disappointed when she went on, “-Apparently, his name is Chad, well…you two will get along great, you seem to share _THAT_ interest…here, talk to Chad, ‘Master of Bators’. I shit you not, that’s what it says on his name tag…”

“Hey, dude…so your woman says you want a pocket pussy? Bro, you should just come in and look, it’s a hell of a lot easier than trying to describe the look, feel, and features over the phone…”

Chris could swear he heard Katie’s laughing as he face-palmed, groaning in the driver’s seat as he shrunk behind the wheel.

“She said you’re worried about being spotted at the porn shop…have you not seen the weather, bro? Nobody’s gonna give too shits about a guy running into the porn shop because there’s nobody out shopping right now!” Chad told him, grating on his nerves as he added, “And it’s just your chick, me and two other employees and they’re both in the back room doing inventory…she found one she wants you to check out, but it’s a no return policy on toys, so just come in…”

The line died, her phone hanging up abruptly; holding it away to stare at, Chris just sat, blinking and frowning at ‘Chad’ and the way he addressed him. Unbuckling the seat belt, Chris pulled the keys from the ignition, stuffing them into his jacket pocket, switching out the NASA cap for the black one on the dash, pulling it low to cover his eyes as he opened the door and climbed out of the rented car, to go let ‘Chad’ know he didn’t appreciate being talked to in that rude and abrupt manner, porn shop employee or not.

He pulled the door open, slipping inside from the rain beginning to fall, a chime sounding in the building to let the employees know a customer arrived. Striding through the theft detectors, the lanky young man called out a greeting from over on the far side of the store, Katie’s beanie a beacon next to him as she looked at boxes in her hands looking up to smile at him.

“Hey man, I gotta check your ID…store policy for anybody that looks under 40.”

“Are you fahking shitting me? You can see, I am fully capable of growing facial hair, and I have a bone to pick with you, by the way, Chad…” Chris stopped in his tracks, fishing his wallet out from his pocket again, pulling his driver’s license out to hold up, making sure his finger covered his name and address to be safe. “See? I don’t appreciate you telling me what to do, and if you HAVE to answer questions and talk about your inventory over the phone, that wasn’t the way to go about it…it was rude and unprofessional and I’d appreciate an apology.” Chris added before turning to Katie, pointing a finger at her while saying, “And you…well, you got me in here. We’re gonna talk later…you can count on that, Tinkerbell.”

Katie bit her lips, fighting a smile and chuckle as she put the two boxes back on the shelves to watch the interaction between Chris and the younger man.

Chad gave a noncommittal shrug, offering a half-hearted apology, “Sorry bro…it’s just easier in store versus over the phone.” He was young, early twenties from the looks of it, rocking an alternative/punk look but was still lanky, not quite filled out after puberty just yet; the kid glanced over to Katie, standing just behind him before addressing Chris with, “Your ol’ lady says you need a pocket pussy for business trips…”

“Hey! You little shithead, I’m only a few years older than you…” Katie protested, making Chris laugh through his indignation on her behalf as well as the ‘meh’ attitude the guy in front of him gave off.

“Sorry, Ol’ lady…Ball and chain…the Misses…your woman over here, she didn’t know which one you’d like, so why don’t I tell you about the similarities and differences in these models…they’re our best sellers in that line of toy…” Chad said, waving at Chris to follow him to the display on the other side of the aisle; looking over his shoulder, Chris found Katie, giggling behind her hand as she bent at the waist to look at the toys in front of her.


End file.
